COVENS, Jean and MORTIER, Cornielle (after Guillaume Delisle)
Carte Des Antilles Francoises Et Des Isles Voisines; Incredible map of the Lesser Antilles (Grenada upside down) Amsterdam: Covens & Mortier. unbound. Map. Uncolored engraving. Sheet measures 24.5" x 20.75" This wonderful map of the Lesser Antilles in the West Indies dates to circa 1745. Based on the earlier map by Delisle, the map covers from Guadeloupe to Grenada and includes the islands of Guadeloupe, Dominica, Martinique, Saint Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Barbados. Incredibly detailed, several towns and rivers are identified, as are some coastal features. Curiously, Grenada is depicted upside down and situated more to the west and north than its actual location. This can be attributed to the manusctipt map by Petit, which was the original source for the Delisle map. Petit might have shifted the islands simply to fit them all on the same sheet. The position of Grenada would eventually be corrected by Buache in the 1760 resissue. The map is in good condition with minor wear and toning along the original centerfold. Minor offsetting and foxing. The Amsterdam publishing firm of Covens and Mortier (1665-c. 1862) was established by Cornelius Mortier and Jean Covens. Together, the two republished the works of great 17th and early 18th century Dutch and French cartographers such as De L'Isle, Allard, Jansson, De Wit, and Ottens. The firm quickly grew into one of the largest and most prolific Dutch publishing outfits of the 18th century and enjoyed a long and prolific life under a variety of names. Guillaume Delisle (1675-1726) was a legendary French cartographer known for introducing a new standard of accuracy into 17th-century mapmaking. He was one of the cartographers who propelled the French school of map-making away from Dutch dominance. The French school emphasized science and accuracy over ornament. His family took over the business and kept publishing maps well into the late 18th century. He used astronomical observations to determine locations and draw more precise coastlines. He continually updated his maps and dispelled prevailing geographical inaccuracies throughout his life.
[Bookseller: Argosy Book Store]